A lot is being made of Lamine Yamal being a prodigious 16-year-old at the Euros but by the time the final against England kicks off on Sunday, he will be an old hand after celebrating his 17th birthday on Saturday. He has already come of age by mixing playground football with decision-making beyond his years. Like Lamine Yamal, I made my first-team debut while still at school – I was 14 when I was fast-tracked by Birmingham City. Some might see it as a daunting prospect to be brought into an adult environment while most people of the same age are worrying about exams but, and I know it sounds weird, I believe it is the best time to move up to elite football.
I played in a European Championship when I was 17, scoring an injury-time winner against Finland in front of a huge crowd, and it was pure excitement to be part of the national team at such a young age. Becoming an international footballer as a teenager means you have been on an upward trajectory your whole life, so it is important to keep doing what has helped you succeed and not change because circumstances have.
